Typically, a user of a personal computer has multiple services or options available to them for distributing a document from the computer. The user, for example, may print the document at a printer, send the document electronically via e-mail, or publish the document with print publishing services. To be able to utilize such services, however, the user must be aware of such services and, more importantly, a program or driver for each of the services must be installed on the computer.
Unfortunately, managing such services on a plurality of individual computers is a laborious task. Each service, for example, must be deployed, installed, configured, and maintained on each computer. Understandably, management of such services is augmented by the number of distribution services being provided as well as the number of users or computers needing access to such services. Typically, an administrator is responsible for maintaining an availability of the services for use by the users. The administrator, however, only receives information on which services have failed not necessarily which services are working or available and, more specifically, how long and/or how well the services have been working or available.
Accordingly, a need exists for managing document distribution services of a plurality of document distribution providers and, more particularly, monitoring and reporting an availability of such services.